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Effects of reinforcement on concept identification in hyperactive children
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
|June 1, 1983
Summary
Children with hyperactivity show reduced performance on tasks with partial rewards, suggesting a motivational deficit rather than a lack of information feedback. This impacts understanding of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in learning.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Hyperactivity, often associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can affect cognitive task performance.
- Reward schedules, particularly continuous versus partial, are known to influence learning and motivation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the performance of hyperactive and normal children on a concept identification task under continuous and partial reward conditions.
- To investigate whether reduced information feedback in partial reward schedules contributes to performance deficits in hyperactive children.
Main Methods:
- Children (hyperactive and normal) completed a concept identification task.
- Performance was assessed under two reward conditions: continuous and partial reinforcement.
Main Results:
- The study replicated previous findings of a performance deficit in hyperactive children under partial reward conditions.
- This deficit persisted even when controlling for information feedback, suggesting it is not solely due to reduced cues.
Conclusions:
- The performance deficit in hyperactive children under partial reward is unlikely to be explained by reduced information feedback.
- A motivational factor, possibly frustration from unexpected non-rewards, may underlie the impaired performance in hyperactive individuals on partial reinforcement schedules.